Hear Me Cry
by Queen Mist
Summary: AU RYOSAKU If one Echizen Ryoma finds out that shy Ryuzaki Sakuno was actually Vermilion, Japan’s current rising star, what’s the poor girl to do to keep her identity a secret?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** AU RYOSAKU If one Echizen Ryoma finds out that shy Ryuzaki Sakuno was actually Vermilion, Japan's current rising star, what's the poor girl to do to keep her identity a secret?

Disclaimer: POT is not mine. _Hear Me Cry_ isn't mine either. It's owned by Utada Hikaru and co.

Chapter 1: First Meeting

_You couldn't say_

_Needed someone new_

_You actually thought_

_Deep inside I knew_

"Have you seen it? It was so cool!"

"Yeah! God, she was gorgeous!"

"Do you know when her next concert would be?"

Ryuzaki Sakuno looked up from reading, blinking owlishly at her classmates. She adjusted her glasses before tapping her best friend, who was animatedly chatting with the other girls. "Tomo-chan," she started softly, drawing the other's attention.

"Ah! Sakuno-chan! Have you heard? Of course you've heard! Did you go? Did you? Did you?"

Sakuno smiled uncertainly. "Um… just what were you talking about?"

Tomoka rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Sakuno, it's the talk of the town! You're so clueless sometimes. _Vermilion_, of course! Did you go to her concert?"

Oh. That. Sakuno really hoped her expression was anything but nervous. "Um… I didn't. I was on a family trip, remember?"

"Oh. Right." Tomo grinned. "Well, you missed out on a lot! Her concert was fabulous! But don't worry! I was there, of course, as her number 1 fan, and I'd gladly give you details!"

Sakuno sighed in relief. _It's okay,_ she told herself. _Nothing's wrong. All's good._ "That would be nice, Tomo-chan. By the way, what happened when I was gone?"

"Oh! I forgot. There's this really hot transfer student who came in the day after you left, and guess what? All the girls love him. And he's _really_ good at tennis! And he looks _so_ cool! I really like Ryoma-sama, but he's just so anti-social, you know? I mean, he rarely talks, and he's always looking bored and everything, and he doesn't even listen to the teacher sometimes! Did I already tell you he's good at English?" Sakuno shook her head, partly amused, partly stunned. "God, you should hear him speak! I get all dreamy just from listening to him! He-"

"-would appreciate it very much if you would get off of his desk, Osakada."

At this, it seemed all movement stopped inside the room, and everyone's attention was focused on the boy who just entered. Sakuno was surprised that someone could actually command this sort of attention at a short time, but when she finally looked at the said person, her thoughts came to a screeching halt.

_Oh god. He IS hot._

Cat-like amber eyes stared at her coolly from under dark green bangs, and she willed her jaw to _not_ drop. She unconsciously straightened her shoulders as she looked back at him, the slightest hint of red on her cheeks. He seemed amused at this, a corner of his mouth lifting slightly, and Sakuno wanted to melt. Did he just _smirk _at her? Oh god. Sakuno resisted the urge to fan herself. No high school student should be _this hot._ The moment was broken, however, when the teacher came in, and the students quickly scrambled to their seats. Tomo snapped out of whatever daze she had been in and hastily retreated to her desk, mumbling an apology. The amber-eyed boy merely shrugged and sat at his desk, which was beside Sakuno's. Sakuno tore her gaze away from him.

"Class settled. Now, we- ah! Ryuzaki-san, I'm glad you're back."

She blinked at hearing her name, before she quickly stood up and bowed. "S-sensei! I'm sorry for my absence."

Himura-sensei merely smiled, and Sakuno sat back down, relieved.

"Oi."

She whipped her head towards the side. It was the amber-eyed boy. "H-hai?"

This time, she was positive he was smirking. "Ryuzaki, huh? Echizen Ryoma." At that, Sakuno wondered why her cheeks suddenly reddened.

"H-hai. Ryuzaki Sakuno. N-nice meeting you, Ryoma-kun," she said nervously.

For some reason, he seemed taken aback, before his smirk widened. "Please take care of me."

_To be continued…_

Please leave a review. It will be highly appreciated.

Queen Mist


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** AU RYOSAKU If one Echizen Ryoma finds out that shy Ryuzaki Sakuno was actually Vermilion, Japan's current rising star, what's the poor girl to do to keep her identity a secret?

Disclaimer: POT is not mine. _Hear Me Cry_ isn't mine either. It's owned by Utada Hikaru and co. _You Raise Me up_ is sung by Lena Park, so I don't own it. Really. (Romeo x Juliet- I love it so much!)

Chapter 2: Discovery

"You seem unusually happy today, Ryoma. Did something happen?"

Ryoma looked up from playing with his pet cat, quirking an eyebrow at his cousin. "Do I look like I'm happy?"

Nanako laughed, shaking her head. "You're so uncute sometimes." He snorted. "So, did something happen?"

"I met someone interesting."

Her ears perked up. "Really? A girl, maybe?"

"Yeah."

"Is she nice?"

"I think so."

"Is she smart?"

"Maybe."

"Is she pretty?"

"Ye-" He whipped his head to look at her again. "What on earth are you playing at?"

Nanako grinned evilly. "Nothing much. I can't believe you're finally getting interested in girls! This is amazing, _Ryoma-kun_!" she teased.

A corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and Nanako saw his eyes soften ever-so-slightly before he turned away again. "Ryoma-kun, huh?"

She laughed softly to herself and decided to leave him to his thoughts. _Looks like Ryoma is really growing up now…_

* * *

When Ryoma opened the door to his room, he was not-that-surprised to find his stupid perverted oyaji inside, fiddling with his player. He groaned inwardly. _What does that old man want now? _"Oyaji, get out of my room."

"Wait, wait! I just need to watch this!"

Ryoma sighed and flopped down on his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. "You have your own room. Watch your perverted movies there."

"But this isn't perverted, you brat! It's- YES!"

_Can you tell me  
__How can you say  
__Why this should suffice  
__You passed me by  
__And your heart is  
__As cold as ice_

Ryoma's eyes snapped open.

"Ahhh! She's so cute!"

_It sounds familiar… somehow… I think I've heard that voice before…_ Ryoma propped himself on his elbows, inwardly rolling his eyes when he saw his oyaji plastered to the TV screen. "You're not going to see anything that way, baka. Who is that anyway?"

Nanjiroh glared at him, fake tears in his eyes. "You mean you don't know? What did I do to have such a useless son?"

Ryoma groaned at the melodramatics. Really.

"She's Vermilion, you brat! The hottest singer in town! Ahh… such a lovely voice…"

_Vermilion, huh? I probably just heard it somewhere…_

* * *

"Hey, Ryuzaki."

"H-hai, Ryoma-kun?"

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Can I borrow your book? I left mine."

She blinked in surprise. "O-oh. Of course. W-would you like me to come closer?"

This time, he really smirked. Such a nice girl. "_That'd be good._" It was only after the words left his mouth that he realized he spoke in English. "I mean-"

"Okay." She smiled shyly and pushed her table closer to his, her cheeks flushing prettily.

He blinked. She understood him so easily? "_I'm bored. Are you?_" he asked cautiously.

She blushed deeper. _"N-not really. _Akira-sensei_ is just pretty quiet sometimes…"_

His eyes widened slightly, surprised at her fluency. And she looked like she doesn't even realize she's speaking a different language altogether. _"You have a nice accent,"_ he remarked offhandedly.

"_Thank you, Ryo-"_ Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. "_Have I been-_ I mean, did I-?" Her cheeks flamed, and she turned away.

He smirked. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"Osakada."

Tomo turned around and almost melted on the spot when she saw Echizen Ryoma standing before her. "R-ryoma-sama! What do you need?" she squeaked loudly.

Ryoma rolled his eyes inwardly. Girls. "You're friends with Ryuzaki?"

"Of course! We've been together through everything! And we were best friends ever since-"

"Does she speak English?" he cut off.

Tomo blinked in surprise. "English?" She shook her head and laughed. "Oh no! She's so bad at speaking she can't even form a sentence. She's good at writing them though…" She tilted her head curiously. "Why do you want to know, Ryoma-sama?"

Ryoma shrugged casually. "No reason. Thanks. Bye."

Tomo stared at his retreating form. Could it possibly be-?

* * *

_She's so bad at speaking she can't even form a sentence._

Ryoma frowned to himself, wondering if Osakada was lying. He thought Ryuzaki was so good she could pass for a foreigner if it weren't for her Japanese features. A fluke, maybe? Or was she hiding it? He wondered why she would do so. He wondered why on earth he was so concerned about such a trivial matter anyway. Running a hand through his damp hair, he hoisted his tennis bag over his shoulder and was about to open the classroom door to get his school bag when-

_When I am down and oh, my soul so weary  
__When troubles come and my heart burdened be_

His hand froze. That voice again… it was coming from inside. That concert idol? In his school? Impossible.

He turned the knob silently and opened the door to see a familiar profile- twin auburn braids, large glasses-

_Then I am still and wait here in the silence  
__Until you come and sit awhile with me_

"Ryuzaki?"

_To be continued…_

Omg. That was so not my best chapter, but I was lacking any ideas. But never fear! The other chappies are better (I think). Thanks to everyone who's reading this fic!

If you could drop a review, it'd be very appreciated.

Queen Mist


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** AU RYOSAKU If one Echizen Ryoma finds out that shy Ryuzaki Sakuno was actually Vermilion, Japan's current rising star, what's the poor girl to do to keep her identity a secret?

Disclaimer: POT is not rightfully mine, and so is _You Raise Me Up. _It was sung by Lena Park.

_**Chapter 3: Secret**_

"Thank you for bringing me home, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno offered shyly, bowing.

Ryoma just shrugged. "Don't worry about it. And besides, stupid oyaji would have my hide if he found out I let a girl walk home alone at this hour."

"O-oh." She took a glance at him and was shocked to find him already looking at her. "Y-yes?" she squeaked nervously.

He stared at her intensely. "I didn't know you could sing."

Her throat ran dry. Did he find out? Was her secret discovered already? She forced herself to calm down. "It's a h-hobby of mine… I'm not that good at it, really…"

He seemed amused at that and looked away, much to her relief. "Yeah. Mada mada dane."

She sighed inwardly. He didn't know. She was safe. Thank Kami-sama.

"Vermilion, right?" At her stunned expression, he raised an eyebrow. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't know, right?" When she didn't reply, he sighed. "Girls."

Sakuno swallowed nervously. "I-I'm sorry, Ryoma-kun."

"Why on earth are you apologizing?"

She flinched. "Nothing. Um, I mean—"

Ryoma frowned. She looked like he was going to attack her or something. "Hey. You all right?"

Sakuno nodded vigorously, although he thought the action seemed a bit hysterical. "It's just, well, I—" She broke off when he suddenly sighed and walked over to her. "R-ryoma-kun?"

"I'm not stupid, Ryuzaki," he started, his tone slightly amused, slightly exasperated. "I know it's a secret, so don't go panicking on me."

She forced herself to calm down and just _breathe_. She was safe. He wasn't going to tell anyone. _She was safe._ "O-oh. T-thank you."

There was a moment of silence in which he let her regain her senses. "So." He peered at her curiously. "You're famous?"

Against her will, she flushed. "A bit."

He smirked. "Probably an understatement, but I'd take that as a yes." She blushed deeper. "Don't I get something for keeping your secret?"

Her head shot up in surprise. "E-eh?" Did he want money? _But Ryoma-kun doesn't look like he needs it… _Fame, then? Or maybe—

He rolled his eyes. "It's not as bad as you think." He lifted a finger. "One, assuming you cook, bring me lunch."

She nodded quickly.

He raised another finger. "Second, talk to me. In English. _It gets really frustrating when there's nobody decent enough to talk to. And I know you're fluent, so don't deny it."_

She blinked, then nodded uncertainly. "As long as it's just the two of us?"

"Fine. And third—" He frowned slightly, then shrugged. "I'll think about it. So bye." He started to walk away.

Sakuno could only stare at his retreating figure. What?

&

"Oi, Ryuzaki."

Sakuno blinked and turned to look at him. "Yes, Ryoma-kun?"

"Can I borrow your eraser?"

"Oh. Here you go," she smiled, handing him the said object. "Ryoma-kun seems to forget a lot these days, ne?"

It had already been a few weeks since he discovered she was actually Vermilion, a famous singer. He was the only one who knew her secret, and she was glad he wasn't telling anyone. Somehow, because of this, they have gotten a bit closer, even if Ryoma was his usual aloof self.

"Hmm… what if I don't let Ryoma-kun borrow my things anymore?"

He rolled his eyes. _"As if that would happen,"_ he muttered.

She laughed at his reply. True to their deal, they also started talking in English, out of anybody's hearing range of course. Sakuno found out the reason he was so fluent was because he grew up in America. She told him the reason why she worked so hard to be fluent was because she wanted to sing in a different language. _"You're right. That wouldn't happen."_

The bell rang to signify morning classes were over. Ryoma handed her eraser back. "I'm done," he said, standing up. "Let's go."

They started having their lunch together too. Ryoma wasn't such a picky eater, as long as she cooked him a Japanese bento. And Sakuno found she didn't mind cooking for the other teen as well. She smiled. "Ok."

&

They were walking home, and Sakuno was humming gently to herself when he promptly stopped. She almost bumped into him. "Ryoma-kun?"

He wasn't looking at her. "If you're going to sing, do it properly."

She was taken aback. "O-okay." _Did he- did he really want me to sing?_ When he started walking again, Sakuno hurried to catch up with him.

"Well?"

She blinked. "Hai!" When she noticed the slightest hint of red on his cheeks, it finally dawned on her. She blushed as well, feeling her heart skip a beat.

_I'm glad… Ryoma-kun likes to hear my voice._

_&  
_

The door to the roof top slammed open. "Ryoma-kun!"

The tennis prodigy glanced over his shoulder, mildly surprised to find Sakuno flushed and sweating all over. "Did you run up the stairs?"

She nodded vigorously, obviously unable to speak because of her excitement.

He rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Ryuzaki, before you forget breathing."

She nodded again before pausing to catch her breath. When she finally got her voice back, she blurted out, "I just talked with my manager! I'm going to have another concert!"

He blinked. "Oh. And?"

"And-I-would-like-it-very-much-if-Ryoma-kun-would-go!"

Pause. "Oh." She smiled hopefully. "I can't."

"E-eh?"

He shrugged. "I don't go to concerts. And I spent the last of my allowance to buy some tennis equipment. Sorry," he added as an afterthought.

Her face fell. "Oh. I see." She brightened. "Then I'll just see Ryoma-kun once I go back to school, ok? Bye!"

When the door closed again, Ryoma sighed, remembering the brief flash of hurt in her eyes. "That stupid girl…"

&

_  
What on earth am I doing here again?_ Ryoma asked to himself, cursing softly when some avid fan bumped into him. Again. He'd lost count on how many times he'd been jostled and stepped on, no matter how tall he was. _That stupid girl. I swear this is the last time I'm going to one of these things…_ Since the concert didn't seem likely to start any minute now, he decided to get some fresh air outside. He grumbled to himself, wondering how he gets himself into these things. First, he had to borrow money from his stupid oyaji.

"_Ahhh! So you're going to watch Vermilion's concert? This is a miracle! We must celebrate! The brat is finally growing up!"_

"_Oyaji, will you just give me the money?"_

"_Of course, of course. But you have to take lots of cute pictures, ok? I would go too, but your mom would kill me! Ah! I'm counting on you!"_

Now he had to take some stupid pictures. And as soon as he stepped inside the concert hall, he got practically harassed. _It's all that girl's fault… _His ears perked up when voices drifted near.

"But the show is about to start!"

"Hai. I'll be there shortly," a soft familiar voice said quietly.

"You look sad. Is something the matter?"

"N-no. I'm just… nervous, I guess…"

A sigh. "Please get yourself together and come inside quickly."

"I understand. Thank you, Ayase-san."

Ryoma blinked when the person came nearer. He could only see the profile, but there was something awfully familiar about her. "Is that you, Ryu-"

His breath caught in his throat.

The girl before him was absolutely breathtaking. Under the moonlight, her long unbound auburn tresses looked silver, and her hazel eyes were wide and almost luminous, and she wasn't wearing… her glasses… "-zaki…"

"R-ryoma-kun?"

He couldn't believe how different she looked. So this was the _Vermilion_ they were so crazy about. Up close, he could finally see why. "Yeah." At his current condition, it was the only thing he could say without looking like a total moron.

"It really is Ryoma-kun! I'm so glad you came!" She laughed. "But now that's Ryoma-kun here, I'm getting _really _nervous!"

"Oh." _Speak, damn it._

"Um, well, I would like to see Ryoma-kun after the concert, so… wait a second…" She offered him a special backstage pass shyly. "Please come and see me."

He nodded and took the pass.

"Well, I better be going now! Ryoma-kun should come inside too!" She smiled brightly at him, one that made all the blood rush to his head and his heart do a weird dance.

"Wait, Ryuzaki-"

"Hai?"

He swallowed, and why was he feeling nervous anyway? "You look good," he managed to force out.

She stared at him, her mouth open in surprise, before she flushed a fiery crimson and bowed. "Thank you so much. Ryoma-kun looks good too," she whispered.

When she finally left, Ryoma took a deep breath, clenching his fists. What on earth was happening to him?

_&  
_

Sorry for the extremely late update, but I couldn't find it in my heart to post this earlier, because I was finding it hard to commit myself to this story. Again, I fear I cannot finish it.

But ah well, I thought _here you go_, so here it is, and it's pretty damn long. -laughs- Hopefully it's good. And I was planning to write a Christmas fic for _A Twist of Fate_ but I'll probably do a valentines fic (again) instead. Hehe. Or a late Christmas one.

And just in case anybody's confused, words in italics (ones that are enclosed in quotation marks) are spoken in English. Words in italics that are NOT enclosed in quotation marks are merely emphasized. So there. I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter and please review, when you can!

Oh, and special thanks to **Ruffle**, who with her review has encouraged me to do better. I appreciate your thoughts!

Much love,

Queen Mist

PS. Unedited, so don't be too harsh on me. –grins-


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